A variety of gaming machines have been known in the art which provide many different types of interactivity and entertainment for users of the machines. In the past, these gaming machines have been primarily mechanical in nature. However, more recently, there have been a growing number of computer generated games and video gaming machines. This development provided the benefit of expanding the number of games available to players for their entertainment. In addition, these gaming machines provide enhanced options for players, which, in turn, increase the likelihood of maintaining a player's interest in continuing game play. Computer generated games and video gaming machines are also desirable to establishment owners for numerous reasons, including networking capabilities, ease of use, monitoring capabilities, and the like.
A persistent problem, however, is that there is still a significant portion of the public that has a fear or distrust of computers and computer generated games, such as video gaming machines. These players still prefer electro-mechanical gaming machines. In this regard, these players seem to feel more comfortable with these machines, or that they can “trust” the mechanical gaming machines. As such, a large proportion of gaming machines used in casinos today are of the electro-mechanical type, e.g., reel spinners/slot machines. This fact has resulted in limiting, to some extent, the amount of computer implementation that has taken place in the gaming industry with respect to these mechanical gaming devices and, consequently, has limited the play options and interactivity afforded a mechanical gaming device user.
This lack of computer implementation in mechanical gaming devices has resulted in some degree of stagnation with respect to consumer excitement and enthusiasm towards traditional mechanical gaming devices. As such, mechanical gaming devices (such as reel spinners and slot machines) have not been able to acquire and utilize the benefits of enhanced flexibility and interactivity which are afforded video gaming devices due to the limitations inherently associated with mechanical gaming devices. This has resulted in a even larger divergence between mechanical gaming devices and video gaming devices, which are already distinguished by separate gaming regulations, as well as customer bases. Many attempts have been made to increase the excitement and interactivity of mechanical gaming devices by adding secondary game features, such as additional buttons, bells, lights, whistles, top boxes, dice, genies, dancing chickens, and the like. These attempts have met with only limited success. Prior attempts have not been able to increase the flexibility and interactivity of mechanical gaming devices to the level achieved by video gaming devices.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art have recognized the need for mechanical gaming machines having enhanced flexibility and interactivity. However, those skilled in the art have also wanted to avoid gaming machines with the associated drawbacks which are frequently attributed to a distrust of computers. The present invention clearly addresses these and other needs.